


His King.

by lauwrite



Series: The Irishman and The Lady [2]
Category: The Last Kingdom (TV), The Warrior Chronicles | The Saxon Stories - Bernard Cornwell
Genre: Character Death, M/M, Mentions of Sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 06:26:43
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 610
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27169279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lauwrite/pseuds/lauwrite
Summary: A King died and a new King is crowned.Niallán stands in th crowd and he thinks. He thinks on the time he served his King.Aethelstan.One shot post War Lord. Might contains spoilers (nothing major).
Relationships: Aethelstan/OC
Series: The Irishman and The Lady [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1852000
Comments: 6
Kudos: 7





	His King.

**Author's Note:**

> This OS is post War Lord/book 13. 
> 
> Niallán is one of the children of Finan and my OC Saegyth, which story is developed in a fic I am still posting.

The bells were ringing in all Winchester. A deafening song to Niallán as he was standing in the back of the church, away from the crowd. He wished he could be somewhere else, but he promised he would be Edmond's oathman and he had to be here. He promised him. 

A King died and a new King was crowned. 

Never Niallán had imagined the death of a King could affect him so much. He had known Northumbria's chaos, when he was a young warrior. There were numerous kings claiming the lands and most of them were dead now, and he had weeped for none of them. Until a month ago. 

Aethelstan, King of Englaland, was the one who finally succeeded to hold Northumbria in his Kingdom. This, Niallán was sure, would make him one of the greatest Kings that crossed those lands. 

He sighed, daring to finally push his back from the wall and join the crowd as Edmond entered the church, along with bishop Oda and other priests. The new King was walking proudly toward the altar, the end of his long coat dragging on the floor behind him. 

Niallán had never seen Aethelstan's coronation, but his father, Finan, had told him of it. He remembered clearly the pride in his father's eyes after watching the boy he had taught to be a warrior take the throne. He might have been jealous that day, though Finan had never been one to hide how proud he was of each of his children. And that day, he could have never imagined that he'd fall on his knees, tears of despair filling his eyes, in front of Aethelstan's lifeless body.

Nor when he first saw him as a King at Eamont Bridge. He wasn't the boy he had known his entire childhood, the one who had learned sword's fight with his brothers when he was still knee-high to a grasshopper, watching them with envy. No, Aethelstan was a proud man, standing with greatness and speaking with authority. And he had hated it. 

However, he had decided to follow him. 

He had seen him fight at Brunanburh and he had felt as a child again, impressed by how powerful he seemed with Serpent - Breath in hand. And he had understood then why his brother, Ailwin, had so much respect for him. Why years ago he had decided to accept Aethelstan's proposition to become the commander of his guard. 

But Niallán wasn't like his brother, and Aethelstan had learned it soon enough. When Ailwin was listening and executing every of the King's orders, the youngest never feared to give his opinion, and they were rarely pleasing Aethelstan. 

How many times they shouted at each other? How many times Niallán threatened to go back to Bebbanburg? Too much to count. And yet he never left. During three years, he had stood next to a King he had dedicated his body to to fight in battle. And for almost the same amount of time, also in bed. 

Niallán had known many women, but none had his delicacy when they touched him. No matter how much they had fought, Aethelstan had always worshipped him as he was the one wearing Englaland's crown. 

He wondered if Aethelstan had loved him. He had never said the words. Niallán neither. But he guessed he did. He wouldn't be here otherwise. He wouldn't keep the promise he had made him while he was laying on what had been about to be his deathbed. 

Niallán stared at the newly King, the golden crown now resting on his head and an amused smile grew on the warrior's lips : it looked better on Aethelstan. 

**Author's Note:**

> Those two are my new babies ngl! Before reading War Lord, I already planned for them to have a particular relationship, but since Aethelstan seems to pretty much like boys, I definitely made up my mind aha.
> 
> I don't know when I'll develop them more, but I wanted to share this little scrap ! 
> 
> Comments are always appreciated! :)


End file.
